Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival 2026

by LIMONCHICAGO

Rosemont, IL (Right outside O’Hare Airport, Chicago)

Crochet Capelet - Red Heart Super Saver + Bernat Blanket

Red Cat Hat - Loops n Threads **FREE pattern at the bottom of this blog post~

One of the best parts of being a resident of Chicago are the conventions that pass through.

From popular Auto Shows, to infamous cosplay C2E2. While the fiber industry has H + H Americas occurring next week, this week, the same brand umbrella has created its first Fiber + Fabric Craft Festival to take place before. Three days of consumer facing vendors in a magnitude of crafting sectors. Beading, Sewing, Yarning, Carpeting, Recycling, Upcycling, you name it! Easily a few hours can go by and you still probably overlooked a thing or four. So a couple of fiber friends and I clocked in and headed to the Donald E Stephens Convention & Conference Center just outside O’Hare Airport to see what the FFCF had in store for artists/consumers/ like us.

I already learned from conventions before that a mind game you can play to navigate big festivals like this is to locate the lounges of the event and look at things on the way there to sort of gain a sense of direction. This time though we asked ourselves what our personal interests were and since we either crochet or knitted we spotted the yarn stuff to lighthouse our path. I always love networking at social events like this and so I was glad to discover new avenues of artistry and social event planning with like minded individuals. I’m talking about advocating for a Chicago fiber retreat, the first Chicago fiber mill. Our city is slowly having an awakening akin to the likes of a “I know I’m That gurl!” I know this city can handle and more a domestic stronghold grip on the culture pulse. It’s nice to see others think so too.

So we started off sort of taking the festival straight on, I knew I wanted to visit my friends at Lion Brand Yarn but other than that we were excited to see what we would find. The amount of creation and supply fulfillment was incredible. The best way I can put it is, imagine the best kind of scissor for cutting fabric, and I’m talking about more than like 10 options of Scissor, yeah that’s the kind of vendor this festival attracted. From printed cork vinyl, to 1920s city maps, to DIY make up bags, to felt sheet color palettes, to hand painted, to the best kind of needle for your sewing machine, and Spoiler Alert, to a gem and jewelry show going on on the second level. It just seemed to go on and on and on quite honest. Sensory overload to try to pack it all in on a single day but this festival definitely requires a couple days to fully absorb what it has to offer. For context, there was a full day of presentation in person classes that had been given before the festival started! Next year I will have to try and both give a session and take a session.

We made it to the Lion Brand Yarn booth and looked at some of the newest yarn samples they carried. They even had a work station for you to crochet with some of these yarns! It was at this point that we started to check out the snacking options but we were unsuccessful in satisfying that need at the moment. We knew there were food trucks and cafe stations set up but at this point the path we have chosen would have us circling back so we trudged on in the name of seeing as much as we can in one day and then go out to eat at King’s on the other side of the parking lot. Pro tip: your parking will be validated if you dine at King’s so stop by on your way out.

Along the path we discovered a ‘Trashy Market.’ A section of the festival dedicated to upcycling, recycling, reusing, etc. This section of the festival was super cool to take the time and talking with its makers/vendors. Hearing personal stories of how they started their craft, the artistic choices they’ve taken in their offerings, and seeing up close details of the handmade variety. Handmade paints and assembly relished my eyes. From jackets made partly of tapestry blanket, dresses made of upcycled jean, home decor from discarded materials. Inspiration was everywhere. Embracement and Reclamation of the concept of ‘Trash’ was truly nice to engage with among peers.

Continuing on, we passed by some displays of the highest caliber. Hand stitched embroidery took over part of the festival as a magnitude of submitted work was displayed in a long wall. Some of them carried ribbons and to those I took an extra second or two to admire and learn about. A neat feature is that the nameplate had a QR code that directed you to a digital rendering of the embroidered piece while also detailing information on its maker and its theme. This allowed me to scan multiple QR codes of pieces that caught my eye and could read about later with more time. There were just so many that it really helped to revisit to with ease on my mobile browser.

Overall this festival really triggered my artistic senses in a plethora of ways. From gaining confidence of utilizing another mediums of craft with my crochet. Imagining things like hand made jewelry to go with my crochet, or meshing upcycling with crochet. These are ideas and concepts I haven’t explored either at all or once on my own without guidance. Now I got a new understanding of what it means to continue my education. It had inspired me to feel a need to invest in myself as a consuming artist. Just as in my Zumba classes and group fitness training, continuing education has its place in a growing artist. Whether its theoretical or technique the results are the same; an evolution of the artistic Self.

In that honor I am pleased to provide you a small treat for reading this blog and to inspire a little bit of creation. Below is the written directions for the red cat hat I had on while visiting the festival. Enjoy and make sure to tag me in your social media posts if you do!

LIMON’S F+FCF CAT HAT

(Originally made using 1 skein of Loops and Threads yarn)

*You will need at least 230 yards of a WEIGHT 4 YARN.

PATTERN BEGINS HERE